This ebook, An Alexander Technique Approach to Jazz and Rock Guitar Technique, is published on this website in a PDF format. It is very detailed and practical, and it will give you the physical tools you need to take the limits off of your ability to create the accurate guitar technique you want without sacrificing your body.
This ebook is also for sale on all AMAZON websites in a KINDLE format.
Located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.A. (MOVEMENT THERAPY)
There is a new movie, Whiplash, which is about the intense hypercritical training that a jazz drummer goes through to become a successful performing musician. THIS MOVIE IS 100% ABOUT THE IDEA THAT THE ENDS JUSTIFIES THE MEANS, THAT IF YOU CAN BECOME A SUCCESSFUL MUSICIAN, THEN IT WILL ALL HAVE BEEN WORTH IT. (I saw an interview with the director/writer, Damien Chazelle, on Tavis Smiley on PBS.)
This is exactly what I went through when I was pursuing a career as a concert artist. I was taught to never ever be satisfied with how well I played, to work harder and harder, putting in more and more hours, and continue to never forever be satisfied.
The unstated belief behind “never being satisfied” is that dissatisfaction will make you the best possible performer that you can be, and satisfaction with your playing, singing, or conducting won’t.
At this point I want to give a unique definition of “integrating” or “to integrate” something. “To integrate” what you’re doing in the moment is to be absolutely at peace with and to accept what is happening at the moment.
Applied to practicing a piece, it means that no matter how well or poorly you’re playing, singing, or conducting right here right now, you are not making the performing or conducting wrong.
What does it mean “to make wrong”? It means as a player, singer, or conductor you are dissatisfied with your performing or conducting as you perform or conduct.
Think about how harsh this is. If this is how you feel about your playing, singing, or conducting every time you perform or conduct, you are not only making what you’re doing wrong, YOU ARE MAKING YOURSELF WRONG, NOT GOOD ENOUGH, EVERY TIME YOU MAKE OR CONDUCT MUSIC.
The director/writer, Damien Chazelle, of Whiplash had actually gone through the same harsh musical training as a jazz drummer that the drummer went through in the movie. Chazelle said at the time he never ever questioned the brutality of the circumstances for two reasons.
The first reason he gave was he felt he was too young and had nothing to compare what he was going through to, so he simply accepted the constant fear he lived in as an aspiring drummer as just the way it was.
The second reason was that Chazelle was highly motivated by the promise of fame and a successful career as a jazz drummer, so it all seemed like it would eventually be worth it.
Here’s the point of this essay.
IF YOU WERE TO PLAY, SING, OR CONDUCT IN AN INTEGRATED MANNER, WHICH MEANS BEING PERFECTLY OK WITH YOUR PRACTICE OR PERFORMANCE IN THE MOMENT, WOULD YOU END UP EVENTUALLY A BETTER OR WORSE PERFORMER OR CONDUCTOR?
BETTER!!!!!! Why?
When you use negative reinforcement as a motivation to greatness, you are attacking yourself, by FORCING yourself to excel. This does work, but it only does so in a way that pollutes the process of learning.
Fear does motivate and does produce wonderful performers. But think about this. If this has been your process to becoming a fine performer or conductor, then you will probably frighten yourself to the very end of your career to do well and never truly enJOY performing or conducting
Now, you can say to yourself, “Once I’m good enough, I’ll be able to play, sing, or conduct with love.” This just ain’t so! Why?
Because the ego is AMORAL and will continue to do what it has always done, because it worked. This means, if you think after years of driving yourself mercilessly to become a fine performer or conductor, you’re going to simply ask the mafia part of your mind to go away and it goes quietly into the night, you never watched a Godfather movie.
WHEN YOU TIE INTEGRATION TO DISCERNMENT AS YOUR WAY OF PURSUING GREAT PLAYING, SINGING, OR CONDUCTING, THEN YOU ARE MOTIVATING YOURSELF WITH LOVE. LOVE, INTEGRATION, WORKS WHEN YOU DON’T MAKE HOW WELL YOU’RE PERFORMING OR CONDUCTING IN THE MOMENT WRONG, TIED TO KNOWING WHERE YOU’RE GOING AND HOW TO GET THERE.
The Alexander Technique teacher may not know where you’re going as well as you the performer or conductor do, but a fine Alexander Technique teacher knows how to teach you to use your body with wonderful posture and great technique to achieve your goal.
BEING SATISFIED WITH YOUR PLAYING, SINGING, OR CONDUCTING IN THE MOMENT, WHICH IS PERFORMING OR CONDUCTING AS AN INTEGRATED INDIVIDUAL, TIED TO DISCERNMENT BASED ON THE ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE PRINCIPLES OF EXTRAORDINARY BODY USE AND TECHNIQUE, WILL GIVE YOU YOUR PERFORMANCE OR CONDUCTING GOAL OR BETTER.
